Tampa, Florida, Is Live with Accela Civic Platform to Modernize, Streamline Citywide Permitting

SAN RAMON, Calif. – December 30, 2014 – Accela, the leading provider of civic engagement solutions for government, today announced the City of Tampa, Florida, is now live with Land Management solutions on the Accela Civic Platform. The solution will replace outdated software and is designed to provide businesses, homeowners and contractors with online access to permitting and licensing information. The goal is to help the City of Tampa make government processes transparent and available 24/7.

Home to over 352,000 residents, the City of Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida and is the largest city in Hillsborough County. Tampa’s economy is founded on a diverse base that includes tourism, agriculture, construction, finance, healthcare and technology. To serve Tampa’s growing population, the Departments of Planning and Development and Code Enforcement selected Accela Land Management to streamline permitting, development review licensing, code enforcement and other civic processes.

“Last year, Tampa permitted a record $2 billion in development. That number indicates that Tampa is growing, and in order to continue to facilitate that growth, we have to make it easier to do business with the City of Tampa,” said Mayor Bob Buckhorn. “From the simple home renovation to major development projects, Accela will save our customers time and result in a quicker response.”

“This is something that the Tampa Bay Builders Association has been advocating for years,” said Jennifer Doerfel, Tampa Bay Builders Association. “Gone will be the days of having to print out pages of building plans, make appointments and go into the agency just to apply for a permit. The Accela solutions will save us time and money.”

The agency will benefit from:

Citizen Access, a user-friendly web portal that provides an intuitive interface for initiating and tracking information. The solution will extend to iOS, Android and Windows mobile tablets and smartphones, giving inspectors and field agents access to documents in real time and the ability to update project files from their mobile devices.

Electronic Document Review (EDR), an enterprise project review and management system for regulatory documents, such as plans, architectural drawings and licenses, required to be submitted in support of plan application and renewals.

“We are delighted to be able to help Tampa modernize civic operations across the City,” said Maury Blackman, Accela President and CEO. “By taking advantage of the capabilities of the Accela Civic Platform contractors, developers and citizens will benefit from streamlined process, online access and improved communications.”